I can listen to Joe Pesci all day long and not get bored.

He needs his own show, the way he explains ideas and history is phenomenal. Could listen to him hours at a time.

Taught many graduate students from Vietnam, age 25~35, as a professor in Korea. In direct conversation, they repeatedly voiced the notion that the Vietnamese people harbor no animosity towards Americans despite the ravages of the war. This surprised me but also made me sense a good future for the Vietnamese people. ;-)

Stephan Kotkin is more than a professor of history, he’s an expert with humanity and insight. A thoroughly engaging conversation.

YES! YES! It always makes my day when new interview with prof. Kotkin comes out. 🙂 I can listen this great historian for hours and don't get bored. Thank you for making this interviews, I wish his words could reach more people. Greetings from Czech Rep. 👍

Prof. Kotkin is one of the very few who really understands what is going on. Thanks for your insights.

Stephen is one of the most relevant minds to follow for geopolitical understanding. He's a national treasure.

My mother used to quote François de La Rochefoucauld, "Hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue."

I love the Hoover Institution for content like this.

Always love new content with Stephen Kotkin 😊

I could not be more excited to watch this video. I've been searching every day for new long-form Stephen Kotkin interviews since the "mutiny".

Watching you from Ukraine. Thanks! 🇺🇦💪🇺🇸

Stephen Kotkin deserves way more applause than that.

The questions that were the setup for this discussion were good. Professor Kotkin's responses were excellent and on point, but his comments on Patriotism are priceless and should be inscribed on our hearts!

Grateful to be living in the timeline where I get to watch Robinson interview Kotkin on KZfaq

I love Kotkin's presentation style. He's so down-to-earth.

I am a child of the Vietnam War. When “Freedom isn’t free, you have to pay the price, you have to sacrifice, for your liberty” had to share the stage with “Who’s the one to tell me why, if I’m the one whose gotta die?” Our system then made both points of view valid.

What an incredible conversation. I love when intelligent and interesting people break down current affairs, politics and history in a way I understand and learn from. We don’t have to be scholars but we do need some level of knowledge when it comes to these topics. If you don’t, you are just along for the ride. I think it’s important to learn and understand why we do what we do and what we fight for. To ensure future generations don’t squander the gift, we must educate them and preach the importance of ideals and institutions.

Take Stephen & Peter on the road and sell out theaters across the country.

Kotkin single-handedly just changed my entire worldview...wow

There’s nothing better on a slow Saturday evening than getting to listen to a new prof. Kotkin presentation with a good craft beer at my side. Lol

A knitted tie! He's actually wearing a knitted tie. That makes my respect for him go up by almost as much as wearing THOSE shoes with THAT suit, brings it down.

A truly great man. A Patriot. An optimistic. A realist. A treasure.

EVERYONE in this country should listen to this interview, and esp. the last 15 minutes of it. You can agree with it, or ultimately disagree with it, but it's important to hear, and to be reminded of.

Prof. Kotkin’s ability to communicate his brilliant insights to his audience makes him one of my favorite historians and always listen to his speeches. His responses to the questions asked were outstanding leaving me with a much more complete understanding of the events. Thank you to all who contributed to the video.

Even the Comments here are so well mannered and intelligent. A great mind creates greatness.

A fantastic addition to the "Questions for Kotkin" series. Kotkin is an immense credit to civilly progressive society.

This Five More Questions series is quite fun.

Stephen Kotkin is one of the most insightful human beings I've ever come across. He speaks, I shut up and listen.

Great interview. I discover Professor Kotkin for the first time. He makes Probably the most meaningful comments I’ve heard on the current Ukrainian situation. Thank you for bringing it to us.

Between the VDH and Kotkin interviews you are working OT on delivering exceptional content. Thank you!

I admire Stephen' Kotkin for his reference to Vietnam, and the USA being capable of winning the peace, after losing the war - this really should make Americans proud. I spent about four weeks in Vietnam in 2007, and was astonished by the people and their openness to America and other cultures as well - they are just asking for respect and the right to remember. What makes one sad, is that Ho Chi Minh, when on the search for support after their freedom fight against the French in 1954, was approaching USA first - and due to bad decisionmaking in DC, he was denied. By this, the US forced him to turn to the Russians, and the Russians again forced him to accept Chinese help. How Chinese help looks like, we all know.

Kotkin's wide perspective and deep knowledge is remarkable. His ability to clearly present his views in such an organized way with restraint and even occasional humor is refreshing.

i always feel optimistic after listening to Stephen Kotkin... Thank you !

It's a pure pleasure to listen to Stephen Kotkin. Thank you.

Steve talks like Tommy from "Good fellas", sure he knows about the mob :)

Best thing about Dr. Kotkin becoming a Hoover fellow is that we get to see him on Uncommon Knowledge regularly 😂

As a reasonable moderate liberal person - it is a pleasure to to listen to such a balanced well thought smart person.

More! Love both of you! Bring it on!

Uncommon Knowledge with Stephen Kotkin as the interviewee is one the best times spent on KZfaq.

It is so refreshing to listen to such great conversations. Stephen Kotkin is definitely someone who makes you sit up and pay attention, the more so when he reminds us again and again that it is up to us to make the teaching of history engaging enough that students, young and old, would become captivated by how the professor knows how to lecture. @Peter Robinson, you've said before that speechwriters can only do the job if they love their Presidents. It's probably almost impossible for an interviewer to love ALL his interviewees, but you probably come close.

Professor Kotkin could even teach a macrame class and make it sound amazing. Love you. Stay optomistic.

Doesn’t get much better! These two guys are perfect together!

Kotkin! Thanks Hoover Institution for publishing another Kotkin interview

Excellent analysis of complex Geopolitics and history in Europe.

Knew this interview would be coming, thank you Mr. Robinson and Prof. Kotkin.

Clear, down-to-earth explanations ; a deep insight into our East European events . . Greetings from Lithuania.

11:10 "Imperial Japan gives way to a liberal democracy. Nazi Germany gives way to a stable liberal democracy". Yes, because both were defeated, occupied and had democracy effectively imposed on them forcibly. Do you think Germany would have miraculously de-Nazified and democratised itself without the defeat, occupation and political control of the Allied powers? Seeing how reluctant it was to the process of de-Nazification, how quickly after WWII it announced an amnesty for war criminals etc. and what the societal mood was prevalent among the Germans for decades after WWII - no. So Russia didn't go the path of Imperial Japan or Nazi Germany because it wasn't defeated, occupied and didn't see a new political order imposed on it. As simple as that.

I absolutely love how Stephen never bites Peter's hyper partisan baits.

Stephen Kotkin is such a pleasure to listen to. A wealth of knowledge and insight into Russia and China, as well as ourselves, whilst also being able to deliver with humility and humour. All is not lost. Thank you from Australia

I love how each question has more than one question in it. That's how you do it when you get the chance to have someone like this on your show. Excellent. 💯👍🇺🇸

My goodness I wish I could’ve had a prof like him years ago! Great presentation, thanks!

Hadn't heard about Kotkin's history of Siberia. Can't wait to read it.

Glad to see that the third instalment of the "Five Questions for Stephen Kotkin series", looking forward to the fourth!

Prof. Kotkin is definitely someone I enjoy listening to, but based on his voice, I can't help but think of him as an academic Joe Pesci. Does anyone else have this impression besides me?

Love listening to Kotkin, can't wait for part 3 of Stalin!!. It's a pure pleasure to listen to Stephen Kotkin. Thank you..

Always a delight to hear Stephen Kotkin in Hoover Ins. interview. Thank you.

Thank you! We have been waiting for this interview with Professor Kotkin.

Stephan Kotkin should become our next Secretary of State.

"The Soviet Union was a chocolate bar" I'll need to remember that one

Fascinating interview with Mr Kotkin, as always.

Another excellent talk by Dr. Kotkin. Great questions and moderator. Thank you! It is so fantastic to sit on my porch in Cody, Wyoming and listen to great minds.

If Dr. Kotkin would teach the "Plato to Nato" course, I would be the first to enroll! I wish I could have taken that class.

So exciting to see this new episode! Thank you!

Clears the cognitive fog which surrounds our problems.... Exceptional.......

This was incredible to listen to, what an incredible mind on display!

Bismarck on Russia: “Never fight the Russians. To your every stratagem they will respond with unpredictable stupidity.”

ANOTHER interview with Dr. Kotkin?! My cup runneth over! Long may it do so.

I'm sure the US can do for Ukraine what it's done for Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lybia …

The incomparable Kotkin. Smarts with humour. The most enjoyable listen on geopolitics out there. Wish he did more interviews! Must read his books.

At 33 minutes. Wow, What a positive vision! He makes the reason for the US experience alive in our minds again. This cannot be overestimated.

Kotkin is one of the greats of our time - his knowledge and understanding of history and current affairs is just outstanding, and he does Joe Pesci to a T!

Fucking love these two guys.

kotkin is always a blast

This man is my neo historical " comfort blanket".He is like a very wise grandfather.

It was very educating to listen to Kotkin. He has a very analytical, clear, pragmatic mind. Thanks.

I wish I had taken the 'Plato to NATO' class with Professor Stephen Kotkin at Berkeley. He reminds me of an intellectual version of Joe Pesci.

Re: The last question on patriotism, I would be curious about going back in time and look at polling Americans in mid-1939 or late 1916 on the likelihood/virtue of being involved in a Pacific or European War. Come to think of it, September 10th, 2001 might be one to look at for that matter. I myself remember being a High School student in the late 1970s during what President Carter called the 'Crisis of Confidence'. But let something or someone cross a line against us? Or we elect a President to that office who understands America's potential and can mobilize public support for a worthwhile cause ("Mr Gorbachov, Tear down this wall!") and I'll think you'll be amazed,... and proud, once again.

Simply like always great!

I love these interviews. Thank you

Finally, Kotkin!❤ greetings from Hungary

A true scholar and influential person. Good to have SK

Amazing!! I just love to hear Stephen talk!! Tremendous insight about so many issues. Thank You!!

Thanks both of you for the wonderful conversation.

Steven has a new suit, and is wearing it! WHEN will we see Volume III?

I love this guy 🙏🏼🇺🇦🇺🇸

Is it okay to be a patriot and hate your government? Kotkin is a treasure.

Always enjoy listening to Professor Kotkin and appreciate the Hoover Institution content. It is however fascinating to me as big C Conservative institutions wrestle (or through incredible feats of cognitive dissonance fail to wrestle) with the fact that their positions are now largely championed by the mainstream Democratic party (if not necessarily the leading edge of liberalism). I'd kind of like to see this taken head on one day. Kotkin speaks here and elsewhere of statecraft in its most lofty forms, nation building at the most expansive levels, deep appreciation for institutions, and when it comes to Taiwan, not rocking the boat too much through bluster and belligerence. Ignoring how all these positions are under sustained attack from the bulk of the contemporary Republican party strikes me as trying to talk around the elephant in the room. It strikes me that both Putin and Xi recognize that if they are going to achieve their aims it will come on the back of Republican populism. I get that Hoover tries to walk a difficult line of educating and not rocking the boat that they are sitting in, but the new Know Nothing party has real effects antithetical to almost everything Hoover states that it stands for.

In a plane crash i will end my life to extend kotins. Protect that man!

That was an awkward transition to wrap up the Q&A. More Kotkin, please.

How do we get Professor Kotkin a 2 hour address, OPEN to every Head of State in the world? This would be a fine feather in the hat of a global organization that can make that happen. Hello, U.N.? The leaders and the peoples of the world could use the pep talk, it would introduce Prof. Kotkin to a much wider audience, and would make life a little more unhappy for tyrants.

when kotkin speaks, you listen

Nice an interview with Joe Pesci

Very enlightening

Thank you both. Very informative.

Thank you so much Peter....appreciate you and your body of work!

Unfortunately, I must point out that historian Kotkin seems to be misinformed this time; he appears to be making up narratives. PMCs don't have legal status in the Russian Federation. The Wagner Group was an entity established by the Military Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff, enlisting 'volunteers'. Keep in mind, the armed forces of the RF comprise conscripts, reservists, and volunteers. Prigozhin served as the CEO of the front company, Wagner Group Centre, one of his numerous ventures. Putin confirmed that Prigozhin received payments through several contracts, in cash-a detail that implies state-sanctioned money laundering. We are yet to discover who compensated Prigozhin for combat in Bakhmut (my suspicion leans towards 'the basin', a slush fund where all oligarchs contribute). When the Ministry of Defence ordered to directly contract Wagner's 'volunteers', Prigozhin lost the source of payment. That's the gist of it.

Great interview, thank you.

Prof. Kotkin is the only true American Patriot amongst this crowd of so-called ‘patriots’. Facing the issues with logical takes, not nonsensical populist views that get the country nowhere but backwards from our current position. Kudos to you, professor, hopefully the rest of the right realizes that they need to aspire to be more like you and less like the more media-hungry and selfish conservatives.

Thank you, Peter and Stephen. I could listen to your conversations all day